Al Hendrix

Judge Rules in Hendrix Case: A federal district judge in Seattle ruled that MCA Music Entertainment cannot move ahead with its planned multimillion-dollar purchase of Jimi Hendrix's recording and publishing copyrights until a lawsuit filed by the late rock star's father is resolved.

The bitter legal battle in which Jimi Hendrix's father last week regained control over the rock star's legacy offers an interesting sidelight: the silent but powerful role played by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul G. Allen in the case. There is little doubt that the 42-year-old Seattle billionaire and Hendrix fan saved the day by lending Hendrix's father nearly $6 million, without which the cash-strapped estate could not have pursued its costly case.

The bitter legal battle in which Jimi Hendrix's father last week regained control over the rock star's legacy offers an interesting sidelight: the silent but powerful role played by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul G. Allen in the case. There is little doubt that the 42-year-old Seattle billionaire and Hendrix fan saved the day by lending Hendrix's father nearly $6 million, without which the cash-strapped estate could not have pursued its costly case.

Twenty-five years after the death of Jimi Hendrix, the rock icon's father has regained control over his legacy. Under a settlement expected to be signed Friday, the rights to the famed '60s psychedelic guitarist's image and music will be returned immediately to James Al Hendrix, the Seattle rock star's 76-year-old father and sole heir to his estate. As part of the pact, Hendrix agreed to drop a 2-year-old fraud lawsuit against Leo Branton Jr.

MCA Music Entertainment Group has delayed a multimillion-dollar purchase of Jimi Hendrix's recording and publishing copyrights after the late rock star's father protested the sale. The multimedia deal--estimated by sources to exceed $30 million--was scheduled to be signed this week, but was put on hold, sources said, after objections were raised in a letter Monday from Al Hendrix, the 73-year-old father and the sole heir to the estate of the most influential guitarist in the history of rock.

Twenty-five years after the death of Jimi Hendrix, the rock icon's father has regained control over his legacy. Under a settlement expected to be signed Friday, the rights to the famed '60s psychedelic guitarist's image and music will be returned immediately to James Al Hendrix, the Seattle rock star's 76-year-old father and sole heir to his estate. As part of the pact, Hendrix agreed to drop a 2-year-old fraud lawsuit against Leo Branton Jr.

"Are you any relation?" You can imagine how often Janie Hendrix has heard that question from strangers who see her last name on her credit card or a restaurant reservation list. The answer is yes, she's the sister of the late, great Jimi Hendrix. There's often a second, unasked question in the eyes of those strangers: How could the guitar demigod have an actual human being as a relative?

The keepers of Jimi Hendrix's flame are calling the new album of long-buried recordings by the proto-rock guitar hero "Valleys of Neptune." The obvious explanation is that it's the title of one of the cornerstone songs that emerged during a fertile, albeit transitional, period in Hendrix's career: the early months of 1969, when the original Jimi Hendrix Experience was dissolving and its namesake was figuring out what to do next and with whom he would...

Jimi Hendrix's father has filed a multimillion-dollar fraud lawsuit in Seattle against his former attorney and several corporations in an effort to recover the rights to the famed '60s psychedelic guitarist's music. The suit accuses Los Angeles entertainment lawyer Leo Branton Jr. of selling the rights to the late rock star's catalogue without the knowledge or consent of the father, James (Al) Hendrix. Branton, who filed a libel countersuit Monday against Hendrix and his attorneys in U.S.

Freddie Mae Gautier, the well-connected community activist who fought for civil rights with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and baby-sat Jimi Hendrix, has died. She was 71. Gautier, who suffered from Alzheimer's, died Friday at the Bessie Burton Sullivan Care Home here, surrounded by her family. Gautier's involvement in civil rights brought her into contact with King, the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Her warmth drew great leaders and famed musicians.

Judge Rules in Hendrix Case: A federal district judge in Seattle ruled that MCA Music Entertainment cannot move ahead with its planned multimillion-dollar purchase of Jimi Hendrix's recording and publishing copyrights until a lawsuit filed by the late rock star's father is resolved.

MCA Music Entertainment Group has delayed a multimillion-dollar purchase of Jimi Hendrix's recording and publishing copyrights after the late rock star's father protested the sale. The multimedia deal--estimated by sources to exceed $30 million--was scheduled to be signed this week, but was put on hold, sources said, after objections were raised in a letter Monday from Al Hendrix, the 73-year-old father and the sole heir to the estate of the most influential guitarist in the history of rock.